By: Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray (writers), Jamal Igle (penciller), Rich Perrotta (inker), Guy Major (colorist)
The Story: Prepare to be blinded by the Ray—in more ways than one.
The Review: Here’s another beauty about the new 52: the opportunity to launch new characters or to revive old ones for a new generation. So of all the myriad heroes of the DC canon to return to the forefront, why the Ray? Nowhere in his history, from his origins in Quality Comics’ Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters to his brief stint as a member of Young Justice, did he ever have what you might call popular appeal.
And I’m not sure if this new version of the Ray will turn that trend around. Truthfully, I’m not a fan of publishers artificially promoting diversity by having minority characters take up legacy brands, like Jackson Hyde and Aqualad, Jaime Reyes and Blue Beetle, Ryan Choi and the Atom, and now Lucien Gates, a Korean-American and newest incarnation of the radiant hero.
It’s also not great that Palmiotti-Gray have chosen a new person for the mantle when Ray Terrill, the previous Ray, hasn’t officially been wiped from active status, which the writers should know since they wrote his last appearance in last year’s short-lived Freedom Fighters ongoing. As the only version of the hero who came closest to having a following (even getting a solo series back in the mid-nineties), you’d think it’d be smarter to use what was working rather than start anew.
But let’s set all that aside and take Lucien on his own merits, shall we? As far as secret origins go, his come in one of the more traditional ways: a freak accident, in the truest sense of the word. Sure, it doesn’t make sense how a misfired beam from the U.S. military’s experimental “sun gun” would randomly bestow powers on any organic thing it strikes. Then again, if you can accept that a lightning bolt and a chemical cocktail can make a man super-fast, maybe you should just this “sun gun” thing go.
Overall, the tone the title goes for is hip and funny, in the vein of a WB supernatural show. The problem is Palmiotti-Gray aren’t exactly joke writers (most of this issue has an unnatural fixation on Lucien’s perpetual nudity, an uncontrollable side-effect of his new powers), and, as they proved often on Freedom Fighters, they have a rather simplistic, liberal view of culture and society. Hence, Lucien’s adopted parents are hippie, new-age, vegetarians (who suggest he learn to control his abilities with “Yoga and meditation.”); his best friend, Darius, is the black son of a music producer; and girlfriend Chanti is an Indian-American who works for a talent agency.
Also on Freedom Fighters, Palmiotti-Gray created some of the most one-dimensional, truly banal villains ever, and here’s no different. Thaddeus Filmore is shown to have been sadistically disturbed even before his dip in a Lazarus Pit, and his first act in existence is to smash a film professor’s face in. So it may not be wise to expect a lot of rich, complex character development where our antagonist is concerned.
Igle has always been a fine artist, but never all that impressive. He has a flexible style that adapts well to almost any kind of story and genre, and is recognizable, but lacks a distinctive identity. He can convey the story credibly, make funny facial expressions, and craft dynamic shots (like Ray reflecting his power off a skyscraper to sear giant, telepathic jellyfish with a cascade of light beams), but he doesn’t do it memorably.
Conclusion: An interesting take on the character, if nothing else, but overall flat and unremarkable, making you wonder what convinced DC to okay this project against all other potential pitches.
Grade: C+
- Minhquan Nguyen
Some Musings: - And the award for Worst Line of Villainy goes to Thaddeus Filmore: “The world is my movie and you’re all extras!”
- Does anyone get an unsettled feeling when Lucien dispatches the rampaging jellyfish, only to watch them move on, possibly to victimize another city? I’m pretty sure responsible heroism demands follow-up of some kind in these cases.
Filed under: DC Comics, Reviews Tagged: | DC, DC Comics, Guy Major, Jamal Igle, Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray, Lucien Gates, Rich Perrotta, The Ray, The Ray #1, The Ray #1 review
